The Dreaming War
by Bobicus
Summary: It has been nine years since the war ended and the world is at peace. Dreams of peace have become reality... but some people have learned that dreams can be a gateway to a person's very soul. The Dreaming War has begun, and no one can stop it.
1. Chapter One: Dreams of Fire

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it.

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It is 9 years after the end of Sozin's war. Under Aang's tutelage, the Air Nomads have started to come back and reclaim their lost temples. The Water Tribe has prospered but discontent brews in the north over the lack of a Royal Heir. The Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom have been wracked by political discontent despite having strong and capable leaders. And now a new war looms on the horizon, started by mortals and fueled by Spirits. And it all begins with a few strange dreams...

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Chapter One: Dreams of Fire

She was dreaming of a vast golden-brown field of grain. It stretched on for as far as her eyes could see. Massive rolling hills rose on one side. A vast open plain stretched out on the other. The fields swayed in a soft breeze, making the wheat lap against her sides in a soft and gentle rhythm. The air smelled sweet and musky filled with the aroma of dark earth and hidden flowers blooming.

She smiled. It reminded her of happier days, of time spent with friends and family at the seashore. And just like those days of peace and happiness, the sun shone brightly in the sky. Its golden rays fell across her uplifted face, kissing her gently, as soft as a lovers touch would be. She was in paradise

But the smile slowly faded away, as a lone cloud drifted across the suns brilliant rays. None of those people who had been with her in the past were in the field with her now – why? Where had they gone? She lowered her face and glanced around, her eyes seeking out any sign of life in the golden, rolling fields.

She was alone. Again. Even here in this dream world, a place created from her own mind and imagination... she was alone. No people moved through the fields beside her, no creatures ran across the open plains. She looked back up at the sky. No birds flew threw the air; nothing moved besides the lone cloud that blocked the rays of the sun from touching her yearning face. She was abandoned.

Suddenly, she felt the dream world begin to change. The gentle breeze had changed from a soft caress to a howling storm. The sky began to darken, with ominous looking clouds blotting out the sun's shining rays. Had her mood affected the dream world? Was she responsible for what was going on? Why was she doing this to herself – _why_?

A bolt of lightning crackled across the sky. The accompanying blast of thunder caused her to crouch in fear. Wind howled and lighting shrieked. She knew what it meant. The dream was about to become her worst nightmare. She had to escape. She couldn't face what was coming. She hadn't been able to do it in real life – what made her mind believe that she could do it in her dreams?

Her mind began to race. There had to be somewhere she could hide, somewhere she could be safe. She turned her back on the plains. They were too open, she would be vulnerable on them. She turned her eyes to the hills; maybe there would be a cave or some ditch that she could hide in.

Thunder pealed again. There was no more time – she had to make a run for it and hope for the best. She took took off as fast as she could, desperately hoping that she would find somewhere to hide before _they_ came. Her eyes scanned the hills around her as she moved, hoping beyond hope that there was somewhere to hide. Lightning continued to crackle across the sky.

This was taking too long and there weren't any caves to be found. She kept her eyes focused ahead. Nothing mattered now except for the next hill. Maybe, if she ran long enough, they wouldn't find her. But could she make it? Her breath was beginning to come out in gasps, and her muscles felt like they were on fire. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she felt sweat begin to drip down her body. That was odd. Despite the lightning and the wind blowing around her, she hadn't felt any rain. It felt as dry as a desert would... too dry. But why?

"Fire thrives best when there is plenty to burn."

She shrieked in panic and terror at the sudden voice. Hearing it come from her right, she threw her body to the side, letting out a scream of pain as the rocks hidden underneath the rolling wheat bit into her soft skin. She curled into a fetal position. If she just stayed still, maybe he wouldn't see her. Maybe he would leave her alone if she just stayed still. It hadn't worked in the past, but maybe now would be the exception.

But a soft chuckle in the darkness soon dashed her hopes. That chuckle haunted her, sending her into mind into a dark abyss of fear and despair. "I can see you there, _dear_. But you can't see me, can you?" Another chuckle reached her ears.

Tongues of flame suddenly darted through the field, burning everything to ash. Her hiding place was gone in an instant. She was exposed. "Now, my daughter, raise your head... and look upon your executioner."

Azula picked herself off of the ground and stared at the most hated man in her life. The only man who could strike terror into her very soul. The only man that she both loved and despised in equal measure.

"Father, please. Please forgive me! Don't punish me again. I promise you that next time I'll defeat the Avatar – I swear it! He won't escape from me again. I'll bring you his bleeding, bloody corpse as proof. Please father, please believe me." Her voice sounded weak to her own ears, strained from running and hoarse from her earlier screams.

For what felt like an hour, he stood staring at her. Her face was flushed and her shoulders heaved from deep breaths. Slowly, oh so slow, a cruel smile began to blossom across his face. "Now, my daughter, why would I ever want to do something like that? I thought that I had taught you better than this, that I had raised you to be a warrior. Azula... you are weak. You are worthless. You mean nothing to me". Ozai raised his hands and settled into a familiar stance. "And now... it is time for you to disappear. Forever."

Azula screamed again; her body half turned to the left to try and run. But there was nowhere to run to. Ozai let loose a hair raising laugh as he punched his right fist forward, unleashing a blast of red-orange fire at her midsection. She managed to her right hand up in time to block the blow, but the shock from doing so added itself to her turning motion and threw her onto her back.

Gasping, Azula fought to regain her feet. If she stayed still now, she would die. Shaking her head to clear the pain, Azula looked around herself. Where was he?

A screaming whip of fire burned threw the air towards he location. She let loose a blast of blue fire from her mouth to block it, but the whip broke through and slid along the side of her face.

Laughing maniacally, Ozai drew back his left arm and let go of the fire whip. Azula's eyes narrowed at that. The whip had served its purpose.

Ozai pumped his arms forward in quick, rapid motions. It was too much; the power behind the blows was greater than her own, and he was easily her match in speed. She would block a fireball launched from his hands only to get scorched by a blast from his feet.

She leaped over a wave of fire launched by his legs and was hit by a rolling inferno of flame when he clapped his hands together. And when she created a whirling sphere of blue flame to protect herself from a vicious spinning kick, red-gold flames blasted their way through and tore into her clothes, forcing Azula to her knees.

No, she couldn't let herself go out this way. She was Azula! She had conquered Ba Sing Se, she had killed the Avatar; nations had trembled at her name! Her inner fire was now a raging inferno. Her father had stoke its embers well – now she would burn him with the very flames he had once nurtured. Overcome by fury, she let loose a blast of screaming blue fire at him from her left hand, her middle and pointer fingers extended while the rest curled into her palm.

She launched attack after attack, blasting fireballs at him from every angle. She created shrieking disks of blue fire, like she had once thrown at the Avatar in Ba Sing Se. She let loose pinpoint blasts of flame from her hands and directed waves of sweeping flame at him with her legs. She fought alone, screaming like a raging dragon.

But it wasn't enough. Ozai blocked each blast that she sent his way, his cold and frightening smile unflinching. She threw everything she had at him – why wasn't it _enough_? "Good, daughter. Good... I was beginning to think that were jut going to lay down and die, like that pathetic Avatar did when he fought me. But if I didn't know better, I would think that I was fighting your dear brother Zuko and not you. You're getting sloppy, Azula."

Azula stood stock still, as if she was frozen in place. He was daring to compare her beautiful, precise style of combat to Zuko's? "Wait... never mind that thought. Your brother at least had the nerve to stand in the path of my fiercest attack without flinching. While you... you twirl like an air nomad!"

Zuko was... better than her? Zuko was _superior_ to her? NO! Letting loose a scream of rage, Azula launched herself at her father, all precision gone from her movements. She was fury incarnate. She was death incarnate! And she wanted him _dead_! "You want lightning father? Then let me give you a taste of mine!"

Sweeping her arms back to begin to use as a necessary focus, she gathered the energy into her body from the air around her. She would show him that she was better than whining little Zuzu. She would show him that she was the perfect fire bender, the perfect child! She was the storm made flesh, and he would feel her wrath.

The power filled her, demanding that she release it or pay with her life. She held it in for a brief moment, savoring it's immeasurable strength. And with a look of sadistic glee on her face, Azula launched its destructive power at the current source of all her hate and misery. He would twitch and burn for saying that she was worse than Zuko!

Azula began to let out a high pitched maniacal laugh. She had done it! The only thing that remained was smoke, and once that dissipated, there would only be ashes. Azula kept watching... only for the laughter to fade away as she stared in disbelief.

Ozai had blocked her lightning with a blast of his own. Only, it had taken him less than a quarter of the time to gather and direct the energy than it had her. And not only that, but it was strong enough to break through her own attack... oh no! She had all of a moment to try and twist her body out of the lightnings forked path.

Not quick enough. The blast of lightning shot into her chest, paralyzing her. _It burns_, Azula thought.

Reeling in pain and shock, Azula was thrown back and fell down into the burnt remains of the once golden wheat. She rolled down the hilltop for a brief moment, unaware of what was going on as electricity flooded her system.

The black ashes scattered across the hill further blackened her already scorched figure. All she could see was white... she couldn't _see_!. Was he coming closer to finisher her off? Was another blast of lightning coming at her unseeing face?

"Impossible", she breathed. "This is impossible". You cannot do this. "Not to me". Not to _me_! "I am the greatest fire bender to ever live. I _am_! I cannot be beaten like this. Not like this!."

"Oh, but you can, my daughter. And do you want to know why? It is because you are _nothing_. You are a weakling and a failure. You couldn't beat your uncle in Ba Sing Se without the help of yopur miserable Dai Li servants. You couldn't kill the Avatar in the caverns of that same city without the help of your brother. You couldn't even beat Zuko on the day of Sozin's Comet, even though he fought you by himself. If you couldn't beat any of them on your own, what made you think that you could beat me?"

Azula heard something crunching in the ash. It was her father; he had to walking towards her while he spoke, closing the distance between them. And she couldn't do a thing to stop him! So she panicked. She tried to drag herself away from him, only to gasp in pain.

Pain from the falls she had taken, the burns from unblocked fire blasts, and the debilitating effects of the lightning blast all conspired to paralyze her. She couldn't move her body and she couldn't see anything. All she could hear was his feet coming closer to her, and the sound of his voice driving like a nail through her skull. It couldn't get any worse than this.

"Now, my dear, worthless daughter; it is time for me to end this. Are you ready to accept your miserable fate?"

No! She was not ready, she couldn't be ready. "Not like this. I can't die, not like this." And as she gasped those last words out, desperately trying to think of a way to escape or kill him, she heard the crunching feet come to stop, and she felt a hand grip her shoulder.

"Yes, Azula. You _can_ die like this. But don't worry; now that I am here I won't let him harm you anymore. Nothing will get past mom."

To Be Continued

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A/N: Have you ever had a dream that felt completely and utterly real to you? They can be quite frightening, no matter what age you are.


	2. Chapter Two: Dreams of Despair

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it.

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Chapter Two: Dreams of Despair

"You're dead, mother."

"But I still love you Azula."

"No mother, you don't. You never did. It was always Zuko that you loved, Zuko that you protected! It was never me. Never!" Azula screamed.

How was this possible? One moment she was fighting her father, sure in the knowledge that her life was about to end. If only she could see, dammit! Things couldn't possibly end like this for her. Her mother had never saved her in real life – why would she do it in a dream world?

Ursa's voice sounded choked up when she responded. She was probably crying again."Because this _is_ a dream, my lovely Azula. In this world your own thoughts determine what goes on. You just have to will it. Here I can love you and protect you, like I wanted to do in real life. I can support you through all of your trials. And it's all thanks to you".

"More lies, mother. Why can't you ever tell me the truth?"

"But I do, Azula. You just don't want to hear I. You never did".

No! Azula was right, she knew it! Her mother hated her and loved that pathetic weakling Zuzu. Her father loved her because she was strong and smart. The most vicious firebender to ever live.

But things had changed. Her father had just tried to kill her. She was nothing to him. She was lower than Zuzu!

Suddenly, she noticed that she could see spots. Her vision must be returning. Finally! She began to blink them, trying to speed the process up.

"Shush... Calm down dear, don't strain yourself." Her mother was making soft, soothing noises. She was trying to calm Azula. Dammit, it was working too. No! "Here daughter, rest your head on your mothers lap. You're safe in my arms. Nothing can hurt you within them."

Azula recoiled from the soft hands that touched her, releasing a gasp when pain flooded her senses. Her father's lightning bolt was still affecting more than her eyes. "No! Don't touch me. Don't ever touch me again. You're not my mother, and even if you were, I wouldn't let you touch me in a thousand years. She's dead and good riddance!"

"Azula, I only want what is best for you. You're my child and I love you."

Azula reeled at those words. They could never be true. Never. "No mother, you don't. You never love me! You treated me like I was a monster, a freak of nature. And even though I am one, it hurt me mother."

Azula wrapped her arms around her body. "It hurt me more than when father punished me when I failed to correctly perform a move. It hurt me even more than when Mai and Ty Lee deserted me." Azula's voice nearly broke at the end. What was wrong with her? Why was this happening?

At least the spots were beginning to go away. When she lifted her head, she could see a fuzzy shape kneeling in front of her. She had put her head back down and closed her eyes. The effort had made her dizzy.

Ursa's gentle voice broke through the dizziness, piercing her heart like a knife."Azula, you aren't a monster. You're just hurt. You need someone to show you kindness and love. No one is perfect, and no one can do everything on their own. I had my mother and my father; Zuko had your uncle and myself. As for you? Azula, you have me now, and I am sure that there is someone else out there who will love you just as much as I do. Give them a chance and you can be healed. I know this to be so."

Azula shook her head. It couldn't be true. Never. "More lies, mother. That's all that you do. You lie, you lie again, and then you lie some more. I will never be loved by anyone. Not by you, not by uncle or Zuko, not even by some man! I am a cruel and despicable person. And you know what? There is nothing that anyone can do to change that." Azula had put all of her hatred and pain into those words. And when she opened her eyes again, she could make out colors.

Shifting her body on the ash covered hill, she turned to look at the figure pretending to be her mother. The figure appeared just like she remembered her mother to appear. Young, beautiful, and staring at her with those pathetic looking eyes.

The eyes that made her lips curl, that made her want to gouge them out in fury. Fury because they made her feel weak, rage because they made her feel small. And loneliness because they made her feel young and helpless.

As for the false figure in front of her, the thing that looked like her mother Ursa... all she did was look at her. Besides the time when she had made to try to place Azula's head on her lap, it didn't look like she had tried to move. Her clothes weren't covered in soot and ash like Azula's were. Her hair was neat and in place. Perfect, like always.

Azula was sure that hers looked wild and chaotic, probably even charred in some places from where fire had burned it. And her skins was smooth and unblemished, whereas Azula's felt red and raw, and she had seen the blood on her hands. She made Azula feel sick.

And so Azula did what she did best. "Leave me. Leave me alone to die here on this pathetic little rock of a hill. I don't want your help. 'm not Zuko – so stop pretending that I am and leave already."

And even though her voice was hoarse, her body wracked with pain, she sounded fierce and indomitable. It made a cruel smile stain her lips. Good. Finally, something goes my way.

And with that, Azula twisted her face away from the woman. She refused to look at that thing anymore. It was disturbing and distracting. It hurt too much to continue looking. And while she could no longer see it's face, she knew that tears would be falling down those smooth and unblemished cheeks. Just like they had on her mother's.

"I love you Azula. And I know that somewhere, someday, you _will_ find love and happiness. I only pray that it doesn't take too long for that to happen. But until it does, I will always be here for you. Always."

And with that, Azula was alone. She knew that her mother was gone. She was alone again, abandoned on a burned hilltop as the wind gusted around her. Like always.

The first raindrops falling on her skin caused her to flinch out of shock. Why would it rain now, of all times? What had changed to make it happen? Nothing had changed, not a thing.

Azula didn't move for a long while. She could feel strength returning to her limbs, but she wasn't ready to stand up just yet. All she could think about was how much she hated everyone that she had ever met. Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee, even that annoying little kid who was the Avatar.

She hated them, and once she regained her strength, she was going to make them suffer. They had abandoned her, and she would make them understand what happened to those who abandoned Azula, princess of the Fire Nation. They would pay! "I'll kill you", Azula screamed, "I'll kill all of you lying bastards with my own two hands!"

Slowly, painfully, Azula picked herself off of the ground. It still hurt to move, but the point was that she _could_ move.

She had survived her father. She had withstood her mother. And now it would be time to bring vengeance to those who had hurt her. And with that thought, the smile that had left her face returned. Vengeance, and dreams of it, truly were the sweetest nectar that a person could taste.

And so she turned around to look at the empty plains from which she had run from... only to scream out in fear and pain. "No!"

Ozai was standing next to her."You didn't think that your punishment was over now, did you? Trust me, Azula, your suffering has only just begun."

Her world was consumed in fire and pain while Ozai laughed. And the last thought that she remembered having was that this was how things always ended for her.

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**Air Temple, Fire Nation.**

In a newly rebuilt temple a thousand miles away, a young man bolted upright in his bed and clutched a hand to his chest. Why had he dreamed of princess Azula and Fire Lord Ozai, and who was that strange woman with them? And what did this strange dream have to do with him?

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A/N: Dreams of family can be loving and tender. Or terrifying beyond belief. And from here on out, the real story begins. Enter the main cast of characters and the dramas that will shape the Avatar's world.


	3. Chapter Three: Dreams of Sunny Days

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it.

Chapter Three: Dreams of Sunny Days

"Wee... Hey everybody, look at me! I'm flying. Yippee!"

"Bumi, watch out! You almost killed that poor Pentapuss. It could have died!"

"But I didn't and it didn't. So ha!".

It was a bright and beautiful day in Omashu. Business was brisk and life was good. The sun was shining, the cabbages were selling, and the war with the Fire Nation had ended long ago. Its citizens knew that as long as King Bumi lived, nothing could disturb their safety again.

Except for the mad king himself. Zooming around the city's slides, Bumi and his oldest friend were leaving a path of utter chaos and mayhem in their wake.

Cries like,"Ah! My pottery jar", and, "Argh! My leg", were went up around the city. Even a cry of "No! My cabbages", could be heard if one listened closely.

But the two men who were the cause of the cries were paying attention to other things. Currently, Bumi and Aang were racing each other down the city's slides at a breakneck pace. First one to the bottom won gloating rights for the year; and even though Aang's abilities were restricted to using earthbending only, the two mad benders were nearly neck and neck with one another as the slides took parallel courses.

Aang's face wore a fierce look of determination; he was trailing Bumi by a few meters, but he was rapidly making up the distance. But of course, the only detail that seemed to matter to his old friends was the fact that he had not yet caught up to the old geezer. "Aang, why are you moving so slowly? You and I may be the same age, but I'm the one who's face looks craggy. Ha! Get it? Craggy. Like a rock face! Heh, that was a good one". Aang let loose a groan at the horrible pun.

Meanwhile, citizens standing nearby ducked their heads to avoid both the stray rocks and horrible puns let loose by their mad king.

"I don't know Bumi - you'd better watch out. I think I've got you this time old buddy".

"Don't count your pebbles yet Aang. You've still got this old mountain in front of you - it'll take quite the rock-slide to take the win. Ha!".

Shaking his head in utter bemusement, Aang readied himself to kick things up a notch. Understanding Bumi's humour was a lost battle for anyone but Iroh or Sokka - but kicking the old geezers butt was not. Smiling, Aang got into his horse stance. He closed his eyes and 'looked' at the rock in front of him... and bended the slide ahead of his sled into the shape of a ramp and jumped his sled into the air... onto Bumi's ramp and just ahead of his old friend.

"Well done Aang, very nice indeed. But I think that you might be forgetting about something".

"What? I couldn't hear what you said all the way up here."

Aang's cheeky grin was in danger of splitting his face. It wasn't often that he was able to get one over his friend like this.

"Aang, I said that you might want to rethink your strategy".

"I don't think so Bumi. Your memory must be starting to go if you think that I'm going to fall for that trick again".

Chuckling to himself, the mad earth king shook his head at the antics of his old friend and bended a ramp of his own. Uh oh – that never boded well. But instead of trying to get ahead of Aang, Bumi sent his cart onto the ramp that Aang had just left. "As you wish Aang. Far be it from me to correct the almighty Avatar. I just wanted to remind you that you need to be on the other side if you want to avoid the drop".

Drop? What drop? There wasn't any... not unless he meant the one from back in the old days, when there used to be a drop somewhere ahead of where they were racing..."See you later Aang. Make sure to pick up some lime for me when you manage to catch up to me". Ah, crap. And with that illustrious thought, Aang's sled proceeded to drop out from under him, leaving the young Avatar without a sled and possessing very few options.

"Aah!"

Luckily, screaming hysterically happened to be one of the few options that he had left.

As he fell through the air, Aang was suddenly struck with four thoughts. First, Bumi was a tricky and scheming bastard. Two, Aang had really messed up this time and now he was going to pay for it. Three, if he didn't want to fall to his death, he was going to have to use another element. And four... he needed to pick up a couple of limes for his royal madness.

Aang swirled his arms in a circular pattern, bending the wind around his body to make it lighter. Chuckling to himself, the young bender slowly drifted through the air, looking around the mountain city as he fell. He was struck by yet another thought - which spawned yet one more thought."_Wow Aang, this has got to be a roll. Five thoughts in one day? Sweet_!

But maybe that was going too far. _Okay Aang, that's enough of an ego trip. Time to concentrate. What was that thought again_?

Oh yeah. "The city really is quite beautiful", Aang muttered to himsel as he drifted towards the ground. Sometimes it was so easy to forget that the city had been conquered by Fire Nation troops during the war. _They really did a great job in restoring the place_.

Aang should have remembered that drop. But next time, things would be different. _Next time I'll remember; and next time I'll beat him_. _But still_, Aang thought to himself,_ I really am getting old if I can't remember a 600 foot drop off a giant cliff_. "You just wait Bumi. You just wait" and said out loud.

When his feet touched the ground, the Avatar took a moment to brush the dust off of his clothes. He usually didn't mind a 'healthy coating of earth' as Toph would put it, but he felt that it was just too beautiful of a day to just walk around the city looking like a street urchin."As the monks used to say, it's time go out and greet the new day". Chuckling to himself at that – he needed to tell Toph about that joke next time that he saw her - Aang started to walk down to the area of the city where the slides came to an end. Bumi would be waiting to rub his victory in, and postponing it for much longer would only make things worse.

Aang paused for a moment in front of a mirror, examining the changes that time had wrought on his body. No longer a young boy of 12, Aang was now a young man of 21. He was taller now, although he was still two inches shorter than Zuko and Sokka – a fact that the two older men took endless pleasure in reminding him of. So what if he was one inch short of six feet?

Monk Gyatso had stood at five foot four, and Bumi... well, Bumi was an exception in almost every way possible. The fact that he stood at six foot seven was just another item on the 'why Bumi is so weird list'. And while Aang had filled out since his childhood days, his vegetarian diet and long hours of bending practice had made the new muscle lean and toned.

Aang laughed out loud. "Even at a hundred and twenty one, Bumi look's like he could break me in half just by looking at me. The man is a beast!".

And thinking of his earthbending Sifu yet again, Aang chuckled and said, "Yeah... I'm a sweet, lean, vegetarian machine. Boo yah".

Shaking his head at the words and the memories that came with them – why was he being so reflective today?- Aang resumed his march towards death. A.k.a. Bumi. Had fighting the Fire Lord ever been half so hard as this? Aang wasn't sure, buteven the mere memory of that battle made him grind his teeth together.

The young Avatar had only met the evil man once, but Aang ran into Bumi several times a year. Teaching new airbenders at the Western Air Temple was hard work. Even the Avatar needed a break once in awhile. Between the young monks in training and his duties to the world as the Avatar, Aang needed some time for himself. _Not even I am invincible_, Aang thought.

Wrapped in his thoughts, Aang's walk passed faster than he would have thought. He paused for a moment when he reached the market to purchase some limes and a cool new hat for himself. "Man I look good in this thing." It's too bad that he couldn't linger, Aang thought to himself as he resumed his brisk walk.

It seemed like it had only been a minute since he started his walk when he heard a snorting, cackling laughter coming from up ahead of him. Well, it was time to get this thing over with. Where was a power mad firebender when you needed one?

Soon enough, Aang could see Bumi. His old friend was waiting for him at the end of the slide. And he had a giant grin on his face. _Dangit -he really isn't going to let me off the hook this time._

Sure enough, Aang was right. As soon as Bumi saw him, the mad old king's face lit up in joy."Aang my boy", Bumi yelled," what ever happened to you? You were right behind me and then woosh! You vanished so suddenly. You disappeared without a trace. As if you were suddenly absent from this world. You departed from my royal presence. You even..."

Aang held up his hands and groaned. "I know Bumi, I know. You win this round old friend. Will you spare me? Please? I brought you some limes". Putting on his best puppy dog face, the young Avatar directed all of his charm and appeal at the wizened old earthbender while holding up the bag of limes.

Bumi stared at Aang for a moment, and then nodded his head. "You know Aang, you're right. It would be wrong of me to revel in your sorrow at this moment. I apologize for not considering the bigger picture".

Aang's heart skipped a beat as he let his head fall down to stare at the ground, his eyes closed in thanks. Phew! That was one bullet dodged. Toph and Sokka would never had let him live it down if they heard... Oh. Crap. And that was when he remembered that Sokka was due back in the city later that afternoon. And with Toph being Bumi's apprentice... all he could do was hope that her latest assignment kept her out of the city long enough for him to get a continent or two away.

When he opened his eyes and looked over at Bumi, Aang knew that Bumi was aware of everything that had just passed through his head. And judging from the look of barely concealed glee contained within his eyes, Bumi was already imagining the moment when Sokka arrived in the city. It would be a glorious time for both of the crazy geniuses... and a time of deep tragedy for the mighty Avatar, Defeater of Fire Lord Ozai, and Savior of the world. Aang looked up at the sky and let out a long suffering sight. Sometimes he wished that he was friends with normal people.

"Oh, and Aang, when I asked you for some lime, didn't you know that I meant lime_stone_? What ever would I need a bag of limes for? A Pina Colada? Ha!"

And as Bumi collapsed from laughter while everyone around them groaned, Aang covered his face with one of his hands. This _had_ to be a dream.

To Be Continued

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A/N: Treasure the time that you have with your friends. You never know when it will be your last time together. Live life to the fullest, and never forget to tell them how much they mean to you.

The next chapter in "The Dreaming Wars" will come out a little slower than the previous ones. While the entire storyline is mapped out (in a very rough sense of the word) the path that the story is going to take to its endpoint is not. There is also a single major detail that I still have yet to make up my mind about. If I still haven't done so after a few more chapters then I plan on asking for your input. But in the meantime, sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

And thank you to those of you who reviewed. Your support means a lot to me.


	4. Chapter Four: Dreams of Friends

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it.

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Dreams of Friends

Aang was a placid lake whose waters were still and peaceful. He was a calm breeze, softly brushing against the green tips of trees. He was the sun slowly dawning on the world, the light which placed its gentle fingers upon the new day. He was serene. He had achieved inner peace.

"Aha! Aang, you so fail. Jeez man, Bumi's what – a thousand years old - and you STILL couldn't beat him? I mean come one, you're the _Avatar_! You beat Fire Lord Ozai on his best day – but Bumi _still _kicked your ass. Brilliant!"

Scratch those thoughts. Aang wasn't a placid lake – he was a raging river. He wasn't a calm breeze – he was a howling hurricane. He definitely wasn't the sun slowly dawning – he was a screaming void from which all light fled. The point is, he was _not_ serene.

"Come on dude. What did Bumi do- wheeze at you? Did he shake his bony ass and sound like a skeleton? Oh, look at me, I'm the mighty Avatar. I can do anything. Anything except beat an old man in a simple game of sledding. Ha!"

And it was all Sokka's fault. _Stupid, brilliant, annoying _Sokka, Aang thought. _Why didn't I win that race? Why? _After hitting his head out of frustration, Aang sighed and calmed himself down. It was nothing that he hadn't expected after from his friend. And it had been awhile since Aang last saw him. _I wonder how Suki is doing?Aha! _"Hey Sokka, how is Suki doing? I haven't heard from her in awhile. I'm surprised that she let you out of her sight."

Aang had the satisfaction of watching Sokka's face blanch a little. _Score!_ "Uh, heh heh heh. Yeah. About that loss of yours Aang. It really is understandable. Bumi is probably the greatest earthbender in the world. And you know that I'm your number one fan dude. I've always got your back, you know that man." Sokka fell on his knees before Aang, a desperate expression on his face. "Please don't tell her that I'm here by myself. Help a buddy out. Please?"

_By himself? Oh well, save that thought for later. You've got him on the ropes!_ " Ok Sokka, I won't go out of my way to tell Suki. But if I were you, I'd pay better attention to what comes out of my mouth". Aang waggled his eyebrow's a little and faked a shocked expression "Are you _sure_ about that Sokka? Is he even better than Toph?"

Sokka's face went even whiter at that. _Heh. Check and mate. Win for the Avatar_. "Oh no. She's here isn't she?" Sokka stood up at that and started looking around, narrowing his eyes suspiciously before drawing his sword with one hand and pointing a finger dramatically at Aang with his other hand.

"I knew it! You scheming little airbender; you're in cahoots with her. So where is she? She's hiding in the vase behind me, isn't she? Aha! You can't sneak up on me that easily Toph. Hiya! Space sword slice!"

Sokka's sword slice decapitated a particularly noble looking statue, but that didn't stop him. Sokka began to madly hack at anything a person could use to hide. Statues fell, tapestries were sliced, and random passerby's began fleeing, screaming at the top of their lungs that the palace was under attack. Aang shook his head at his friend's antics while he made a quick getaway. _Sokka may be a genius, but he is definitely a _mad _genius, _Aang thought.

After all, no normal person would run around slicing up expensive vases just on the odd chance that a diminutive earthbender might be hiding inside of one. _At least he isn't on any cactus juice_, Aang thought to himself, _If he was, he'd probably be going after the Palace's support pillars_. Thank the universe for small favors.

Aang walked down the Palace's spacious hallways, briefly standing to one side when a pack of servants and soldiers ran down the hallway looking as if the Fire Nation rebels were at the palace's gates. Chuckling to himself at Sokka's soon to be misfortune, Aang resumed his walk down the hallway. One thing that he was noticed about Earth Kingdom cities was that the green and brown patterning served to calm him down. _I guess that there's just something soothing about those colors_. _Maybe I should paint a room in one of the Air Temples to look this._

After asking a servant where Bumi was, Aang started moving faster. Aang paused in the door, smiling. Bumi was currently seated at the head of the table with some high ranking military man standing at his side. The man looked familiar; maybe he was the captain of the guard or the leader of Bumi's armed forces?

But it did not matter. Bumi had caught sight of Aang standing in the entrance way and had dismissed the man. All Aang caught as he moved forward to take his spot at the table was a "... ong. We'll finish talking... later" from Bumi. The man gave a curt nod at the words and said "As you wish King Bumi". He then stood up from his bent over position and left through a side entrance door.

Aang sighed as he sat down and gazed at the amazing spread on the table before him. His old friend had planned a fest for Sokka's arrival. He had said something about the 'Food not Friends Alliance' and 'Meat Eater Solidarity'.

But once Bumi had told him that there would be plenty of vegetarian foodstuffs and no sea grapes, Aang had let his mind wander. He remembered thinking something about Momo and fireflakes. And one other thing too. "How does a saber-tooth moose figure into it? note to self Aang - papaya's aren't a good food before bedtime."

Odd. But nothing to worry about. After all, it was just a dream.

Besides, Bumi was looking at him with his usual quizzical face. _I wonder what's got him so excited today, Aang thought to himself_. "So Aang, where is Sokka? My annoyingly observant guardsmen mentioned that a young and very loud mouthed water tribesman entered the city about two hours ago; I took this to mean that Sokka had entered the city. Floppsy misses his dumb expressions and foolish face."

Aang burst out in laughter over that "Bumi, only you can be sentimental and insulting at the same time. I've missed you buddy."

Bumi was just about to make another remark when a loud knock on the door grabbed their attention. After an annoyed "come in already" from Bumi, Aang was treated to the site of a very annoyed Sokka being held between two guards. While encased in stone up to his neck. Aang turned to look at Bumi and saw that his old friend had that manic glint in his eye.

Bumi leaned back into his chair as he threw a bored gaze Sokka's way. _Ah, so he's taking the dramatic approach_, Aang thought. _Excellent_! "So, Mr. Avatar, what would you recommend that we do this criminal? He looks to be rather pathetic."

Aang put on a puzzled face. "Hm. You know, I think that we should kill him. He looks rather mean and ugly."

Bumi nodded his head sagely. "Excellent plan. Guards! Off with his head!" And as the guards exchanged confused looks with one another, Bumi and Aang burst out laughing.

Sokka's eyes bulged at that and he managed to force out a "Screw you guys!"

Bumi wiped a tear from his eyes. "Ok, fine, you've convinced me to lessen the punishment. How does imprisonment for life sound?"

Sokka just glared at the mad king. "Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny Bumi; you are _so_ kind and considerate. Now I don't know why I even came here. I thought that we had something special going on between us – but no, you just had to go and ruin it. Great going there dude. Good job."

Looking down at his still encased body, Sokka threw another glare the old king. "Now please, tell your guardsmen to let go of me so I can get some meat in me."

Bumi chuckled and waved a hand, causing the stone to fall away from Sokka's body in a heartbeat. Sokka breathed a sigh of relief, only to let out a yelp of anger when he was seized by the guards who had escorted him in. "Do you need anything else Sokka?" Bumi said, "You had me worried for a little bit. I was starting to think that you had died of pentapox or something."

"No no, everything was going fine. I'd ditched my escort -and I'll tell you more about that later- had just arrived in the city and somehow even managed to find Aang all in a short amount of time. It was going perfect until that sneaky little pipsqueak over there convinced me that Toph was waiting around a corner to ambush me for saying something that I shouldn't have."

Sokka's face grew sheepish at that last bit. "Speaking of which, you might need to replace a few vases and wall hangings. I kinda, mighta, sorta hacked my way through a couple of them". Sokka's sheepish tone of voice suddenly switched into a whine."And would you _please_ tell these guards to let go of me already? I mean come on, the stone was bad enough, but this is going too far."

Bumi chuckled at that and motioned the guards to let go of the irate water tribesman. "You know, I think that you have suffered enough for now. And never mind the decorations. They were due for replacement anyway. Now, come sit down and enjoy the food. I've imported quite a few delicacies for this event – it's not often that I get to enjoy the company of a fellow meat connoisseur."

Sokka's face lit up and a little bit of drool appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Ah... meat. All is forgiven Bumi. You're a great king and a man after my own heart". Bumi let out another throaty chuckle. "I'm glad to hear that Sokka. By the way, you should try the fox-bison platter. It tastes like moose-lion with a spicy hint of rabbit-bear."

As Sokka and Bumi dug into the meat and launched into a furious conversation each platters taste, Aang shook his head and helped himself to the freshly cooked vegetables before him. There was steamed broccoli and grilled peppers, along with heaps of black beans and pots of vegetable soup. _You know, sometimes being the Avatar isn't all that bad_, Aang thought to himself. Despite his earlier loss, today really had been a good day.

* * *

**12 Hours Later**

Aang awoke the next morning feeling alert and refreshed. Sokka and Bumi had gotten up to some hilarious antics involving pineapples and kumquats. Aang felt certain that several of the servants and on duty guardsmen would have nightmares for the rest of their days after witnessing the results of their labor.

But it was all worth it in the end. Bumi had broken out a Pai Sho table and had taken Aang and Sokka on in a one on two duel. And after a long and brutal battle, Aang and Sokka had emerged victorious over the wily old king. _I never thought that I would see the day when Bumi was speechless_, Aang thought. _Sokka and I really do make a good team_.

Aang wandered out of his rooms and made his way to an open terrace reserved for important guests. The terrace was a great place to spend the morning; it was flat and wide open. Perfect for meditating or for some bending practice. Rolling his shoulders and shaking his arms to loosen up, Aang readied himself for his morning workout. He walked out of the doorway and emerged onto the terrace, taking in a deep breath of fresh air. "Ah... now that's the stuff. I love fresh morning air."

"Hey there buddy. What took you so long?"

Aang let out a surprised yelp and jumped backwards. Sokka's voice had come out of nowhere."Ah! Sokka, where the hell are you, and what are you doing out here?"

"Oh, I'm right above you Aang. I've been practicing my sword forms. I wasn't really able to keep up while I was traveling and I had the weirdest nightmare last night. Wait one sec and I'll hope down and join you."

Aang walked back outside and looked up. Sure enough, Sokka was perched on the stone lip of the doorway with his sword extended. Standing at a good six foot two, the young swordsman looked like something out of a fairytale.

Sokka had taken off his shirt in order to train and his body shone with sweat. _He must have been at it for quite awhile_. Moving the sword slowly, Sokka traced intricate figures in the air around him. It must have been incredibly difficult seeing as how the stone lip was about half the length of his foot.

With a pleased grunt of satisfaction, Sokka finished his training and hopped off of his perch. "Ah... I've missed that. There's nothing like a good workout in the morning to make you feel like a man. Isn't that right Aang?"

Aang laughed and shook his head. "That's what you said last night when you dug into the peacock-shrimp platter. Is there anything that doesn't make you feel like a man?".

Now it was Sokka's turn to shake his head and laugh at his friend while the young swordsmen sheathed his sword. "You know Aang, someday you'll discover the joys of meat, beer, swords, and women. I just hope that I'm there when it happens". Shaking his head yet again, Sokka gave out a long sigh.

When he faced Aang again, his face had taken on a more serious note. "Speaking of which, I have a question for you. Whatever happened between you and my baby sister? You guys seem to be good friends, but you two looked like you were going to join Suki and me at the altar someday. I thought that it was a sure fix."

Aang sighed and turned back to his stretching. Not this topic again. The two of them had been over it before, and Aang had been over it with everyone else who had known them too. Oddly enough, the most understanding person had been Hakkoda. _I wonder how he's doing?_ However, Sokka didn't look like he was going to leave without hearing what Aang had to say.

Aang thought carefully about how to phrase things so that he wouldn't seem like he was insulting Katara. Sokka could get a little protective at times. But like the monks had always told him, honesty was the best path to follow. Even if a person didn't necessarily want to hear it.

"Sokka, we've been over this before, so this is the final time I'll go over it again. Like I already told you, Katara and I dated for two years, but things just didn't work out between us. She was my first love and my first kiss and I will treasure the time that we spent together. I will always love her as a sister, but I will never have a lovers feelings for her again. We have both moved on."

Aang could feel Sokka's eyes on his back as he bent over to touch his toes but he didn't really mind the feeling. It wasn't all that unnerving. _I know that Sokka is just trying to help in his own way_. _He might be brash and funny, but he's a really good guy at heart_.

"Think of it this way Sokka. Katara and I did love one another, but it was a child's love. It gave us a glimpse of what real love is like, such as the love between you and Suki. I'll find someone out there when the time is right, but it isn't going to be your sister". Aang straightened his back and turned around to face his friend. "And as for the other items on your list of 'all things manly'... we'll see Sokka. Now then, can I get on with my bending?"

Sokka stood there deep in thought, processing what Aang had just told him. So when Sokka just nodded his head and put on a big smile, Aang began to feel a little nervous. Sokka didn't grin like that unless he was in one of his crazy moods.

_Maybe I should back away from him. I need room to practice my bending. _Yeah, that sounded like a good idea_. Let's go with that_. So when Sokka walked over and clapped him on the should, Aang nearly decked him over the head out of surprise.

"I'm glad to hear about that Aang, for several reasons, some of which I'll tell you about later. But first and foremost, this means that I get be your wingman whenever we go out somewhere. I can't wait to do that; maybe I can get Zuko to join us and we can go out somewhere and paint a city red or something."

_Huh?_ "My wingman? What does that mean?"

Sokka's grin grew even wider. He opened his mouth to reply when he was suddenly cut off. "Silly, that mean's that Sokka hear get's to help you pick out girls to chase whenever the two of you go out somewhere. Isn't that right, you big muscley swordsman you?"

Sokka let out a screech and tried to jump behind Aang, but he didn't move fast enough. One second Aang and Sokka were standing there alone, having a man to man talk with one another. The next, saw Aang jump high into the air in an airbending fueled leap while Sokka tried to run away from a green colored blur that tackled him into the ground.

"Ah, don't run away from me Sokka. After all, Suki assigned me to look after you and make sure that you didn't get into any trouble. It's my job to make sure that you don't kill anyone by accident or run off with some pretty little girl. And besides, I love it when you're all shirtless and sweaty in the morning. It makes me want to go out and find a man of my own."

The figure, who was clothed in the outfit of a Kyoshi warrior, proceeded to hug Sokka and let out a girly giggle. "Also, I need to decide on your punishment. I never should have let you get away from me in that small town. And if you did manage to get away from me, Suki gave me permission to teach you a lesson."

Aang floated down, feeling highly confused. _Who is this girl? And why is she all over Sokka like _that? Finally, after a brief moment of speechlessness, Sokka managed to get some air in his lungs. "Ah! Ty Lee, get off of me. I swear, next to Suki and Azula, you have got to be the craziest woman that I know."

Meanwhile, Aang was still in shock. One second he had been alone with Sokka. Then chaos reared its bubbly head and struck him senseless. _Ty Lee? Really? What is she doing here?_

The Kyoshi warrior let out another giggle. "Oh, alright, I suppose that your punishment can wait for a little bit. After all, I really do need to introduce myself to Aang. It's been so long since I've seen him!". The Kyoshi warrior turned stood up, turned around, and gave herself a little dust off. She then held her hand towards Aang and said "Hi Aang, it's good to see you again."

Aang shook his head, feeling a little dazed. _I don't think that I'll ever get used to being around her_. Nevertheless, Aang took her hand and shook it. Whatever she had been, she was now a friend. "Hi Ty Lee. It's good to see you too... ah!"

Ty Lee's sudden hug had caught him off guard. _So... painful_. Ty Lee then proceeded to launch into a stream of words that he struggled to hear over the newfound roaring in his ears."Oh Aang, it really is good to see you. It's been so long; I haven't seen you since you dropped by for Avatar Day three years ago. Ooh, it feels like you've put on some muscle. Add that to your cute looks and every girl out there is going to be all over you. I've missed you so much! Friends forever!"

Aang struggled to free himself from her tight grip; he couldn't breath, and the impact of her hug had forced all of the air out of his lungs. But still she rushed on.

"You know what Aang? I think that you, me, and Sokka need to go out sometime soon and have ourselves a little fun. We can have our toes and fingers done, get a facial and a fully body massage, and then go out and let loose. Doesn't that sound _great_?"

When Aang didn't respond, Ty Lee opened her eyes and loosened her grip a little. "Aang, are you alright?"

"...Lee... Can't... Breath... Seeing... Stars."

Ty Lee gave a gasp and let go. As soon as she released him, Aang staggered backwards while taking in a deep breath. _Oh air... I'll never let you leave me again_. Letting himself fall into a crouch, Aang concentrated on filling his lungs with oxygen again. That had been too close.

Ty Lee crouched next to him, saying something about how sorry she was and how it would never happen again. And something about his needing a girlfriend to make sure that this sort of thing didn't happen. How did that figure into things?

But while she apologized to him and Aang tried to catch his breath, a soft crunch of a branch alerted them to the fact that Sokka was trying to escape. Both of their eyes darted over, and Aang grinned at what he knew was coming. If Suki had sent someone to watch over him, and he had skipped out on the person... _He is so dead_.

Sure enough, as soon as Ty Lee glared at him and placed her hands on her hips, Sokka froze in place and muttered, "Crap". Placing a hand on the back of his head while closing his eyes, Sokka smiled nervously. Ty Lee just stood there, tapping a single foot. "Hey Ty Lee, how's Aang doing? He's looking a little pale there."

"He's fine Sokka. How are you doing?"

"Me? Oh, I'm doing fine. Just dandy, actually. But are you sure that you weren't a little rough on the poor guy? I think that you should stay here and look after him for a moment. I can't do it myself; King Bumi needs my help with some very important matters of state."

Aang winced; that was not the tactic that you wanted to take with an irate woman. One quick glance at Ty Lee's face confirmed it. Aang lowered his head and whispered. "Sokka, you're a moron"

Aang looked back up to see Ty Lee glance at him with a small smile on her face. A smile that was promptly replaced with a growl when she looked back Sokka, who had been trying to inch his way to freedom during the brief distraction.

"You know Sokka, I think that now _is_ the right time to punish you. Do you remember the pink ribbons Suki and I bought at the fair last year? Yes? Good. Let's go fetch them; I have a whole outfit to prepare for you, and you'll need to be ready by dinner time."

Sokka screamed and tried to make a break for it. Dashing madly, he almost made it to the door before Ty Lee flipped, shot into the air, and landed in front of him. As he tried to jump back to put some distance between them, Ty Lee calmly thrust a hand forward and pinched a nerve. Sokka's yelp of horror was abruptly cut off as his body dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Grinning to herself, Ty Lee bent over to grab a hold of his comatose body. And as she dragged him off by the scruff of his neck, she looked over her shoulder and called back to Aang. "It was good seeing you again Aang. After I'm done punishing him we'll have to get together. I can't wait to help you get a girlfriend. It'll be so exciting! Yay!"

After the two left the terrace, Aang stared at the doorway, puzzled. Too many weird things had happened too fast. AndnNot knowing how to make sense of things, his brain eventually did the smart thing and gave up trying. _Bend first, think later_.

And with that decided, Aang was finally able to do what he had originally set out to do and practice his bending by himself. Or so he thought.

* * *

For off to the young Avatars side, a small patch of shadow became darkened into a pool of utter black, a void from which no light escaped. The sound of a thousand skittering feet briefly filled the air, and two baleful eyes stared out of the darkness and caught the young Avatar in their gaze.

_Practice and be happy young Avatar, for soon your life will come to an end. The world shall be my plaything... and the reign of the Avatar shall come to an end._

Dark laughter softly echoed, and an icy chill ran up Aang's back. Suddenly, the bright new day didn't seem so bright anymore.

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: Here is a quote from my favorite philosopher, the mad genius Friederich Nietzsche. "And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you". Darkness lies within everyone and everything. The danger comes not in acknowledging its existence but in becoming enamored of its gaze.

I finished this chapter ahead of schedule thanks to some help from a friend. And while the Gaang may be happy at the moment, the shadows are beginning to stir and their enemies are gathering. Two more more chapters to go until the twist and the beginning of the plunge.

Update: I initially posted the wrong version online. This is the fully edited chapter that I meant to post. Sorry for the mistake. :'-(

Kudos go to **Elsil **for letting me know about it.


	5. Chapter Five: Dreams of Flight & Pursuit

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or anything related to it.

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Dreams of Flight & Pursuit

_Not that dream again_.

Azula woke up from her deep sleep, breasts heaving and covered in a cold sweat. Her eyes, which had shot open upon waking, closed in relief upon realizing that she was no longer asleep. No matter many times she had it, the blasted thing never got any easier. Why did the fracking thing refuse to go away? The doctors at the asylum had told her that the dreams would fade away with time. And most of them had. But why couldn't _that_ dream have been one of them?

But what did they know? The quacks had transferred her into her brothers care after only four years of therapy. We've done all we can for you, they had said. What you need now is the comfort of family and friends. Didn't they realize that she was messed up _because_ of her family and friends?

Those so called _specialists_ had been wrong about Zuko and Mai being a positive influence on her. And things had gone wrong from the beginning. Azula and Mai had shared an icy staring contest with one another. Zuko was uncomfortable. And those morons thought that they would help her.

One thing about the whole thing brought a smile to her face though. Mai had left the room where they had come to meet her and gather her up. And as soon as she and Zuko had been left alone in the same room together... well, if there was one hobby that she had missed in the asylum it was baiting her brother. _Ah Zuzu_, Azula thought, _still so easy to draw into a fight after all these years_. It had taken her all of two minutes before he lost his temper. Being Fire Lord hadn't made him any smarter. But the memory soon caused her smile to wither and die. Flopping over onto her left side, Azula put an arm over her face.

She had lost that fight, even though she had been the first one to strike. With her body out of shape and her skills lax, Zuko hadn't even bothered to go all out. That was the second time she had lost to him. Fracking quacks. And dammit, if the glare hitting her closed eyes was anything to go by, the sun had to be fully up already. _Great, _Azula thought, _I've missed a good amount of travel time_. But she had places to go and people to kill.

Willing her body to move, Azula stood up from her bed and glanced at the room she was in. Except for a small mirror and a window the room was nothing but bare wooden walls with a wooden floor. That meant she was still in the small boarding place she had checked in to the night before. One more day of freedom, of staying ahead of Zuko's detectives and soldiers.

Smiling to herself, Azula fetched her brush from a small knapsack lying at the foot of her bed. "Time changes many things", she mused out loud. "Back when I was in the Palace, I couldn't even do my own hair." Azula let out a brief sigh. "If only I could get some peasant do my nails."

Once she finished brushing her hair, which was shorter than it used to be, Azula paused to look at her own reflection. "You've still got it." Vanity made her run her hands over her cheeks, her lips, and her eyes. Her skin was still smooth and supple, even though she had been in an asylum and a prison for seven of the past nine years. And her eyes still shone like lamps in the darkness.

Time had not changed much in this regard. She had regained her athletic look after leaving the asylum and kept her body neat and trim through daily practice. After four years of sloth and helplessness, she would never let herself go again. "The next time that I face you Zuzu, things will be a little different" she whispered to herself.

Giving a self satisfying grin at what she saw in the mirror, Azula grabbed a green ribbon from the knapsack and tied her hair into a quick ponytail. She picked up her clothes from where she had neatly folded them and looked at them in the mirror. _Disgusting rags_, Azula thought. _Why must peasants wear such filthy things?_ _Why am _I _reduced to wearing such things_?

It wasn't her fault that people didn't like being ordered around by her. Next time one of them refused an order, she would burn them where they stood.

"The fools! When I next see a shop with new clothes in it, the owner shall pay with their life"! Azula's clothes were worn and stained with dust. They were unworthy of being worn by a princess. But since they were all she had to wear, Azula put them.

Once she had placed everything into her small bag Azula exited the room and closed the door behind her. She walked down the the hallway and went into the building's common room to grab a bite to eat. The meal turned out to be Chef's surprise soup. Tough, stringy stew and a hard stick of bread. _Disgusting_.

Azula finished the meal in short order. _Best to get this slop down_. Placing a single copper coin down on the table, Azula picked her bag up fro the floor, slung it over a shoulder, and left the place. She then walked over to the picket line and took the reigns of a small bird-horse.

But before jumped onto the back of her bird-horse, Azula paused for a moment . She reached into a breast pocket and took out a small note. That note hadn't been there the night before. _Someone entered my room when I was asleep!_

Azula turned to look around her. The only thing that she saw was a couple of birds in the trees and the other bird-horses on the picket line. She knew that the bastard who had sneaked into her room was out there, watching her. _Whoever you are, this act just earned you a painful death. Your life is mine!_

Azula squeezed the note in her hand before unfolding it. "Time to see what you've written on this thing, bastard." And Azula looked at her surroundings one last time. "Whoever you are, I _will_ find you. And I will make you scream before you die. Arrogant frack!"

Azula finally looked at the note in her hand. Her eyes scanned its length again and again, burning the words into her memory. Then she burned the note itself, the flaming piece of paper momentarily scaring her restless mount.

Grabbing its reigns tightly in her hands, Azula jumped onto its back and kicked its sides to force the animal into motion, leaving the piece of paper to slowly crumple to ash behind her. Now she had a destination in mind and a person to kill.

"Don't worry, Long Feng, I'll be there shortly. I can't wait to see you either. Now move you blasted animal!"

Bust as she moved away, she could've sworn that she caught sight of someone flying through the air. But as soon as she looked again, the image was gone.

* * *

**Fire Nation, The Royal Palace, One Month Earlier**

A soldier dressed in the uniform of a captain strode down the long walkway in the Fire Nation Throne Room. Golden-red flames flickered in between the pillars, feeding off the chakra of the reigning Fire Lord. The courties that wandered the room paid little attention to the soldier.

Looking at the flames from the corners of his eyes, the captain noticed that the flames looked especially active today. It seemed as if they were licking the rooms giant pillars, caressing them with a burning touch. _Maybe the rumors _are _true_, he thought to himself. _Maybe the flames really can sense that which lies in your heart_.

_But if that had been the case then most of these courtiers wouldn't be alive._ If not for Fire Lady Mai's strong hand, some of the nobles might have actually entertained thoughts of taking the Fire Throne for themselves. _A hundred years of war and glory are a hard thing to let go of, even for the those of us who are bound by duty_.Pride, honor, and duty - such was the life of a soldier. The captain soon put such thoughts out of his mind. No sense lay in tempting the Lady's assassins or in infringing upon their territory.

Reaching the petitioner's area before the hidden throne, the captain fell to one knee and placed his right hand over his heart."Fire Lord Zuko, I bring you important news." The whole room, which had been buzzing with light conversation, stopped at that. The captain could feel, probing his appearance and manner for any information that might hint at the missive he carried.

After a moment of silence one of the senior military officers present, an admiral, stepped forward from the crowd to the captain's right. He was tall and thin, and he possessed a long black beard and hair that was streaked with grey. The admiral looked around himself and then addressed the captain.

"Soldier, the Fire Lord is not currently in attendance. But if it is an urgent military matter that brings you here, then General Mingli and I can be informed of the circumstances and brief the Fire Lord once he arrives." A tall, stout man with a deep black beard stepped out of the crowd and nodded his head towards the admiral. "I agree with Admiral Nianzu. The two of us should be able to handle anything dealing with the military." A pause. "Unless the Fire Lady has any objections, of course."

_Thank Agni for Lady Mai_, the captain thought. Staying on his knee, the captain raised his head and looked around him. His message was not of a strictly military matter, and although it did partly infringe upon it, the captain was grateful the the Fire Lady's presence. Things would be sorted out shortly.

The crowd began to part for the Fire Lady as she moved forward. Dressed in a slim robe of black and red with gold patterning, Lady Mai cut an imposing figure. She had added golden streaks to her usual strictly black eye shadow. She looked like one of the Sun-Warrior queens of legend. And like the Sun-Warrior queens of old, Lady Mai was mistress of her own corps of warriors.

Two women dressed in simply cut robes followed behind her. _Assassins_, thought the captain. Thankfully, the two women moved off into the crowd at some unseen signal from the Fire Lady, leaving her to approach the captain by herself. _Those women scare me_, the poor captain thought. _Praise Agni for small favors._

Coming to stand before the kneeling captain, the Fire Lady turned to address the two military figures with her usual look of impassivity. "Admiral Nianzu, General Mingli. While I thank you for your offer, I believe that this message is of a more personal nature. Your offer is appreciated but I will take care of this. The Fire Lord is not supposed to be here for another half-an-hour. Until he does appear, please continue to enjoy the refreshments speak with your fellow guests."

Only once the two officers saluted and the crowd had resumed its chatter did Lady Mai turn to look at the young captain who had created the disturbance. When she extended her hand to him, the Captain reached inside of his uniform and pulled out a large scroll. Taking it, Lady May moved so that the fire before the throne faced her back and the crowd moved before her.

Lady Mai's eyes scanned the contents quickly before snapping the scroll up and handing it back to the Captain. Whatever had been contained within it had been judged to be important. Giving a sharp nod, the Fire Lady looked the captain in the eye and motioned for him to stand.

"Come with me. The Fire Lord is currently in his chambers. He would appreciate it if we discussed the news there". The Fire Lady looked around the room and signaled one the assassins who had left her earlier. The assassin nodded her head and motioned for the crowd to gather to her. Pleased, Lady Mai gestured for the captain to follow her immediately.

Rising to his feet, the Captain followed Lady Mai as she swept through the chamber. And while she could ignore the looks that courtiers shot their way, the captain couldn't help but sweat a little. Rumors would fly from this incident. It had been a mistake to report directly to the throne room while the Council was in session. It'll be amazing if they can keep this secret for much longer, the captain thought nervously.

The Fire Lady and the captain strode through the Palaces many hallways, passing curious servants and patrolling guardsmen alike. After a few minutes of tense silence they came to the doors of the Fire Lord's personal quarters. Giving the guards her usual blank stare, Lady Mai stepped forward and gave the doors a quick rap of her knuckles. "Open the door Zuko. It's Mai." The captain tensed his body, preparing to be let into the doors immediately.

But curiously enough, the gilded doors remained closed to them. _Uh oh_, the Captain thought. _Lady Mai isn't going to like this. Although she probably won't show it. _The Fire Lady wasn't called the Ice Queen for nothing. The only time she ever showed emotion in public was in the presence of her husband, her friend Ty Lee, and the Avatar.

Not even an attempted coup by dissenting nobles had managed to break the emotionless expression she presented to the world. One of the guards coughed into a hand before gathering the courage to speak to their queen. "Uh, milady, I am sure that the Fire Lord must be busy with some matter of state. He should be out in a moment."

Lady Mai looked at the poor guard for a moment and then went back to staring at the door. After a full minute had passed, Mai knocked on the doors again. "Zuko, open up. It's your wife, and I have important information news that you need to hear." _And that's that_, thought the captain.

But the doors still refused to open. And after another minute passed, the captain noticed that one of Lady Mai's eyebrows had begun to twitch. _Oh frack!_ _I'm going to be witness to regicide. She's going to kill him!_ Lady Mai knocked again. And her voice sounded odd, almost as if there was a touch of emotion to it. "Zuko. If you don't open this door right now, I am going to come in there and castrate you." Ah, yes. Irritation. _That's why it sounds different. _

And still they waited. But just as the Captain thought that the Fire Lady was going to make good on her threat- _where does she hide those knives?_- , the huge doors opened up on one side. The door's guards clicked their heels together and the captain got his first look at the Fire Lord.

Who, it seemed, was not in a good mood either. "What's going on Mai. Have Ty Lee and Sokka come to visit again? If so, then my answer is yes. I am perfectly fine with a double execution. I refuse to redo the palace again – three times is more than enough."

Lady Mai just stood there, unimpressed that her husband towered over her by nearly a foot. He was looking more like his father everyday, even though the captain wouldn't have dared to say that himself. _I really don't want to join Fire Lord Zuko's dad in prison. I'm too young!_

Staring at him with her black eyes, Lady Mai said "You've got a message dear" and swept past him, beckoning for the Captain to join her. She had sheathed her knife. But if Fire Lord Zuko's eyes were anything to go by, the captain didn't want to be anywhere near his present location. But duty called. Looking backwards at the empty corridor, the Captain squared his shoulders and marched into the room. _Maybe it would have been safer to stay with the courtiers_. _At least I didn't tell him that the only major difference in looks between him and his father was a few years and that giant scar on his face._

* * *

Zuko closed the door once the soldier had marched in behind his wife. The young man seemed to be tense over something, but one look at his wife had made him feel the same way. _Dear Agni, she looks pissed_. _How the hell have I managed to survive eight years of marriage_? Briefly resting his head in the palms of his hands, Zuko considered his options. _First I've got to calm down. Then I'll deal with whatever the hell it is that nearly got me castrated._

Zuko took in a deep breath, let it out, and then took in another. Feeling Mai's eyes branding a new tattoo on his back, Zuko held one hand up without looking at her. "Give me a second Mai. Then we'll talk."

After the mad dash from his rooms' terrace to his chamber's doors, he needed a moment to himself. He'd been deep in practice; he could've sworn that he was close to figuring out how Azula made her flames so powerful. But no matter. Taking a few more deep breaths and practicing a few meditation phrases taught to him by Aang, Zuko calmed both his body and his mind

Throwing the Captain a look that plainly ordered him to take a seat and get comfortable, Zuko turned to face his wife. By Agni she looked gorgeous in that fancy clothing. But he couldn't let her know that just yet. No, right now he needed to go on the attack before she could. And letting her know that he was admiring her looks was not the right way to go about it.

Putting on his best Fire Lord expression, Zuko walked over to his wife and crossed his arms over his chest. Best to begin with a frontal assault."Mai, you knew that I was practicing my bending out on the terrace like I always do before an audience. You also knew that you could let yourself in if it was really important. So why didn't you?"

Mai's expression didn't change a hair. "Well Zuko, maybe it was because I expected my husband to be a responsible adult who would be getting ready for his official audience right now. Especially when his _incredibly_ patient wife knocked on the door to their chambers and mentioned that she had important information for him."

Mai paused for a second to narrow her eyes and poke him in his stomach. "And most importantly, that said husband would know better than to annoy his amazing wife with useless question when she was currently restraining herself from castrating him. Didn't your uncle teach you anything about women?"

Zuko glared at her, but it just slid off as she continued to stare at him with narrowed eyes. _Damnit, I've lost this one, haven't I Uncle?_ And as his beloved uncle would say, it was a wise man who knew when he was beaten. Holding his hands up in surrender, Zuko muttered an apology before grabbing her hand and kissing it. Mai gave him a cold look before letting out a smile of her own. "See Mai? Uncle did teach me more than how to bend lightning and brew tea."

Mai snorted at that. "As long as he didn't teach you to smile and charm every woman that crosses your path, then anything you learn from him is better than what you could come up with on your own."

Good. All was forgiven. And with that matter settled, Zuko turned to face the young captain who was now staring in shock at the married couple. "Something catch your attention captain? I think that a fly might've flown down your mouth when you weren't look." As the soldier's mouth clicked shut and his wife's arm smacked into his stomach, Zuko let out a brief moment of laughter.

Seeing the poor man's expression when he realized that he'd been caught in the act was highly entertaining. Grinning to himself, Zuko allowed himself a brief moment of amusement. It wasn't everyday that Zuko was able to be so informal around one of his soldiers.

But unfortunately, matters of state take precedence over personal enjoyment. Time to get down to business."Alright captain, it's your turn now. What information is so important that you had to disturb my relaxation and nearly get me killed by my own wife?"

Moving slowly, as though he was still in shock, the young Captain reached into his vest and pulled out the scroll again. Zuko took it and opened it up, reading the scrolls message. Bunching his brows and scowling again, all the first thing out of his mouth was, "Yeah, this is definitely important. Dammit, but it looks like our little secret is about to get out."

Muttering angrily to himself, Zuko threw the scroll onto his bed and went to stand by his wife. Sitting down in a chair next to her, Zuko folded his arms again and turned to face her. "You know what this means, don't you Mai?". Mai nodded. "Of course I do Zuko. And you know what you have to do now, right?" Zuko's scowl deepened even further at that. "Zuko?" Her voice had an edge to it that time.

Zuko threw up his hands and let his scowl dissipate. "Yeah. It means that I have a trip to make. If Azula has been sighted in the Earth Kingdom, it's only a matter of time before she knocks on either Uncle's or Aang's door. And if they don't know that she's coming, it isn't going to be pretty."

Sighing Zuko reached over to hold his wife's hands. Mai took his broader hands with her smaller ones, bringing a smile back to his wife's face. By Agni's flaming beard, he would miss her. "Please watch over the Fire Nation while I'm gone. I know that that I couldn't place her in safer hands."

Mai released his hands and drew him into a passionate kiss. A very long, very passionate kiss. A polite cough reminded them that the captain was still present and Zuko drew back with a pleased, starstruck look on his face. "Now I know what to look forward to while I'm away."

Mai gave a laugh laced with mischief. "You'd better come back to me. If you try to leave me and run off with some random floozy with Sokka, you're a dead man". Standing up and brushing her dress, Mai made ready to leave. "I'll tell the court that you're going to be late. Show up in two hours and wear your new dress robes; I believe that Admiral Nianzu wanted to speak with you about something."

Mai walked over to Zuko and grabbed the collar of his shirt, gripping it tightly. "If the Fire Lord is going to be leaving, he had better make a lasting impression first." Letting go, she then turned to the seated soldier.

"And captain. Before the two of you leave, I have some orders for you. So stay near my husband and don't do anything stupid." And with one last, quick kiss, Mai opened the doors and left, leaving behind an amused husband and a very confused captain.

The last look he got of her flashing eyes left no doubt in his mind about what tonight would bring him. _Agni have mercy_! The vixen loved to poke holes in his image with stunts like that, and everyone thought _he_ was the one who started them. Standing up from his seat, Zuko turned to face the Captain again. Since the man was there, he might as well be of use.

"Well Captain, since you already know what's going on and you're stuck with me, I believe that you are going to accompany me to the Earth Kingdom. Now get up – I have a lot of things to do before I leave, and you're going to help me do them."

Zuko smiled again. The poor captain's face looked like he had seen a ghost. _Just wait until you meet Aang, Sokka, Toph, and Ty Lee all at once_, Zuko thought. _Then you'll really think that you've gone to hell._

To Be Continued

* * *

A/N: "All that is gold does not glitter; not all those who wander are lost". This is one of my favorite quotes of all time and is from one of the best literary series of all time too. If you can figure it out without googling it, then kudos!

And here is a forewarning to anyone reading this story: Characters are going to die. I won't say who, but the deaths _are_ coming, and the first to fall comes soon. It will not be an OC death. And they will not be the last original Avatar character to fall either.

Until next time everyone. Read, review, and be merry. :-)

Also, every single previous chapter has been edited and changed as of the posting of this chapter. I would recommend that you reread them; they should be much easier to read this time around and there are a few new surprises in there as well.


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